EFCC Arraigns Fake Oil Marketers for Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday May 21, 2014 arraigned Ibrahim Yusuf and Mainasara Yusuf before Justice Darios of the Kaduna State High Court on four count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence.

The accused persons allegedly posed as suppliers of crude oil with Hawaris Contracting Limited  and in that capacity obtained the sum of N2,000,000 (Two Million Naira Only) from one Kehinde Fatunbi as ATB (Authority to Board a vessel of crude oil) and clearance for the supply of crude oil. 

One of the counts read: “that you Hawaris Contracting Limited and you, Abubakar Rilwan, Ibrahim Yusuf, Daniel Otigba (now at large) and Mainasara Yusuf, sometime in 2011, in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Kaduna State, with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N2, 000, 000 from Kehinde Fatunbi by falsely representing that you are operating petroleum products business under the name and style of HAWARIS CONTRACTING LIMITED and capable of securing and supplying crude oil to him, which pretence you knew to  be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.”
The accused persons pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to them.
Thereafter, prosecuting counsel, Aisha Tahir Habib, asked the court to fix a date for hearing in view of the plea of the accused.

However, the defence counsel asked the court to grant his client bail as the offence was bailable.
Justice Darios granted bail to the accused persons in the sum of N300, 000 and two sureties each in like sum. The sureties should be civil servants who possess international passports.
The case was adjourned to July 3, 2014.